Control device for a registering business machine

ABSTRACT

MECHANISMS AND BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE COMPUTING MECHANISMS, CLUTCH MEANS CONNECTED TO THE SENSING MEMBERS FOR TRANSFERRING CAM-CONTROLLED DRIVE MOVEMENTS TO THE CONTROL SHAFTS FOR TIMELY SWINGING THE SELECTED COMPUTING MECHANISMS INTO AND OUT OF OPERATION WITH VALUE TRANSFER MEMBERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH A SELECTED MODE OF POPERATION.   CONTROL DEVICE FOR A REGISTERING BUSINESS MACHINE HAVING MECHANICALLY ADJUSTABLE MODE-OF-OPERATION AND COMPUTING MECHANISM SELECTOR MEANS CONTROLLABLE BY CONTROL MECHANISM AND COMPUTER MECHANISM SELECTOR KEYS FOR RESPECTIVE BANKS OF KEYS AS WELL AS BY AUTOMATIC CONTROL MEANS, THE MODE-OFOPERATION AND COMPUTING MECHANISM SELECTOR MEANS BEING ACTUABLE THROUGH CLUTCH DEVICES CONNECTED THERETO FOR EFFECTING SELECTION OF CONTROLLING MODES OF OPERATION AND COMPUTING MECHANISMS, THE BANKS OF THE CONTROL MECHANISM AND COMPUTER MECHANISM SELECTOR KEYS HAVING A DIFFERENTIAL CONTROL MECHANISM COORDINATED THEREWITH, RESPECTIVELY, INCLUDING ADJUSTABLE CONTROL DISC MEANS IN ONE OF THE DIFFERENTIAL CONTROL MECHANISMS FOR SELECTING MACHINE MODES OF OPERATION AND COMPUTING MECHANISMS, THE COMPUTING MECHANISMS BEING MOUNTED ON A PLURALITY OF CONTROL SHAFTS, RESPECTIVELY, SENSING MEMBERS COORDINATED WITH THE CONTROL SHAFTS OF THE COMPUTING

United States Patent Kleffmann 1 Sept. 5, 1972 541 CONTROL DEVICE FOR A REGISTERING BUSINESS MACHINE [72] Inventor: Giinter Kleifmann, Kleine Howe 30a, Bielefeld, Germany [73] Assignee: Anker-Werke Bielefeld, Germany [52] US. Cl .Q ..235/62 F [51] Int. Cl. ..'.G06c 23/00 [58] Field of Search .....235/62 F, 60 R, 60 M, 60 TK [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,915,244 12/1959 Neumann-Lezius "235/621 3,286,9l9 11/1966 Metschnabel et al. ...235/62 F 3,370,788 2/1968 Gassino ..235/62 F 3,478,959 ll/ 1969 Rethmeier ..235/ 62 F Primary Examiner-Stephen J. Tomsky Attorney-Curt M. Avery, Arthur E. Wilfond, Herbert L. Lerner and Daniel J. Tick Aktiengeselleschaft,

' ABSTRACT Control device for a registering business machine having mechanically adjustable mode-of-operation and computing mechanism selector means controllable by control mechanism and computer mechanism selector keys for respective banks of keys as well as by automatic control means, the mode-of-operation and computing mechanism selector means being actuable through clutch devices connected thereto for effecting selection of controlling modes of operation and computing mechanisms, the banks of the control mechanism and computer mechanism selector keys having a differential control mechanism coordinated therewith, respectively, including adjustable control disc means in one of the differential control mechanisms for selecting machine modes of operation and computing mechanisms, the computing mechanisms being mounted on a plurality of control shafts, respectively, sensing members coordinated with the control shafts of the computing mechanisms and being operatively .connected' to the computing mechanisms, clutch means connected to the sensing members for transferring cam-controlled drive movements to the control shafts for timely swinging the selected computing mechanisms into and out of operation with value transfer members in accordance with a selected mode of operation.

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v clutch devices connected thereto for effecting selection of controlling modes of operation and computing mechanisms.

In the German application published for opposition, No. 1,424,611 there is described aregistering business machine whose control mechanism and computing mechanism selector keys cooperate with control mechanism sliders which are driven through differential control mechanisms that are coordinated with the mode-of-operation or computing mechanism selector bank.

The selection of the machine modes of operation or the computing mechanisms is effected in this known machine by a control disc adjustable by the differential control mechanism of the mode-of-operation bank or by several control rails, which are transferred from the differential control mechanism of the mode-of-operation bank or of the computing mechanism selector bank into thevarious control positions thereof.

whereas, the control discs provided for selecting the 'machinemodes of operation cooperate with a sensing lever which controls the corresponding cams through a coupling, the control rails serving for selecting the computing mechanisms act simultaneously upon several sensing levers whose after-connected clutch levers couple the control shafts of the computing mechanisms to the mode-of-operation rails driven by ing adding mechanisms located on a common control shaft by a key of another selector or control key bank or to select several adding mechanisms simultaneously with one of the key sliders.

Even greater demands are being imposed upon registering business machines employing data storage with respect to their capacity and to the retrievabilit y of the data carriers available therewith, whereby the control-technique expensesof this type of machine has reached very high orders of magnitude.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a versatile business machine and especially the control device thereof that are considerably simplified over the prior art machines and devices of these general types, and to make them, moreover, readily accommodatable to varying uses.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is provided in accordance with the gist of the invention, an automatic control device for registering business machines which is of such construction that a single control member, whose mechanical adjustment is determined by one of the control mechanism or com- 'the cams, the mode-of-operation rails being displaced during the machine run in rhythm with the selected mode-of-operation and bring the computing mechanisms in and out of engagement with the value transfer members.

In the heretofore known adding mechanism engaging and disengaging device for registering business machines according to the German published application No. 1,287,336, the adding mechanisms or adding mechanism groups, mounted on control shafts in dependence upon the business transaction to be carried out, are engaged and disengaged with toothed racks provided for transforming the values at specific time intervals during the machine run, by means of control members coordinated therewith. Each mechanically adjustable key slider of this machine controls, through .a corresponding sensing device, the adjustment of a clutch pin which is connected with the coordinated control shaft of an adding mechanism or adding mechanism group and according to the adjustment, is controlled by a drive member, which transfers the engagement and disengagement movements produced by cams for the adding mechanisms during each machine run.

Whereas different control means are provided in the initially aforementioned business machine for automatically selecting the computing mechanisms and the machine modes of operation, no possibility exists, in the case of the last-mentioned control device, of selectputing mechanism selector banks simultaneously effects the selection of the modes of operation and the selection of the computing mechanisms that are mounted on a plurality of control shafts.

More specifically in accordance with the invention, there is provided a control device for a registering business machine having mechanically adjustable mode-ofoperation and computing mechanisms selector means controllable by control mechanism and computer mechanism selector keys for respective banks of the keys, as well as by automatic control means, the modeof-operation and computing mechanism selector means being actuable through clutch devices connected thereto for effecting selection of controlling modes of operation and computing mechanisms, the banks of the control mechanism and computer mechanism selector keys having a differential control mechanism coordinated therewith, respectively comprising adjustable control member means in one of the differential control mechanisms for selecting machine modes of operation and computing mechanisms, the computing mechanisms being mounted on a plurality of control shafts, respectively, sensing members coordinated with the control shafts of the computing mechanisms and being operatively connected to the computing mechanisms, clutch means connected to the sensing members for transferring cam-controlled drive movements to the control shafts for timely swinging the selected computing mechanisms into and out of operation with value transfer members in accordance with a selected mode-of-operation.

Through the use of a single control disc for selecting the machine modes of operation and the computing mechanisms, the machine control is markedly simplified and is capable of being readily varied which has a desireable effect upon the manufacture proper, the storage and the selling price.

An important advantage of the invention is that the computing mechanisms mounted on different control shafts are selectively controlled for one and the same machine run simultaneously in accordance with varying machine modes of operation and can be swung timely in and out of operation.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, a plurality of control member means, such as control discs or rails, for example, are adjustable by respectively one differential control mechanism or computing mechanism banks for selecting the machine modes of operation and the computing mechanisms, which cooperate individually or in combination with the sensing members that are coordinated with the control shafts of the computing mechanisms.

The advantages of this device are that the selection of the computing mechanisms and of the modes of operation are effected through individual control keys of various key banks or through a combination of depressed keys, whereby the flexibility of the machine control is considerably increased, and the machine control can be readily accommodated to all possible requirements.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.

without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cash register constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the cash register of FIG. 1 through the amount key bank thereof;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view from the right hand side of FIG. 1 of the-drive mechanism for the cash register;

FIG. 4 is an elevational view from the left hand side of FIG. 1 of the computing mechanism selector control means and the mode of operation control means of the cash register;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the computing mechanism selector control means and the mode of operation control means shown at the right hand side of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line A-B in FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7 to 9 are plan views of details of the mode of operation control means;

FIG. 10 is a plan view of a control disc of the computing mechanism selector control means and the mode of operation control means of the invention; and

FIG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the control disc of FIG. 10.

Referring now to the drawings and first, particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown therein a cash register 1 provided with an inclined flat keyboard 2 on which there are disposed nine computing mechanism selector keys 3, a key 4 for clearing or resetting the computing mechanisms, a totalizing key 5, a control key 6 constructed as a multi-function key, a removable locking key 7 serving especially for final and subtotalizing machine runs, amount keys 9 and 8 forposting dollars and cents amounts, respectively, as well as several rows I of value keys for recording merchandise-identifying numbers, account numbers, check digits or the like. Adjacent the keyboard 2 there is provided a window 11 for viewing a control tape 12 and a slot 13 thereabove from which a non-illustrated voucher provided by the cash register can be withdrawn. A parallelepipeclal boxlike structure 14 containing indicating devices 15 and built-in units as seen more clearly in FIG. 2 for one of the amount key banks, are formed of a substantially triangular support plate 21 that has been slid into shafts 22 to 24 forming part of the cash register frame and is.

locked thereon 'by suitable nonillustrated securing means. A U-shaped profiled rail 25 is fastened by screws 26 on the support plate 21 and is formed with rectangular cut-outs 27 and 28 wherein the key shafts 29 of the amount keys 8 and 9 are slideably seated. Key cross pins 30 are riveted to the key shafts 29 and are subject to the biasing action of a tension spring 34 suspended from pins 31 and 32 and supported by holder pins 33, the spring 34 normally maintaining the amount keys 8 and 9 in the starting position shown in FIG. 2. The key cross pins 30 extend into rectangular slots 35 milled in the support plate 21. On pins 36 and 37 riveted to the support plate 21 a latching slider 38 as well as zero or neutral pawl slider 39 are slideably mounted and perform functions that are amply known,

for example from US. Pat. No. 3,551,660 of E. Rethmeier and H. I-Ierger, issued Dec. 27, 1970 and assigned to the same assignee as that of the instant application. At the key shafts 29, staggered detents or stops 40 are provided which cooperate with similarly staggered teeth 41 of a control mechanism slider 44 rectilinearly guided in fixed pins 42 and 43 and having an extension 45 carrying a pin 46 from which a tension rod 47 is suspended and is turnably mounted on a pin 48 of a control mechanism lever 49. The control mechanism lever 49 forms part of a differential control mechanism 50 of heretofore known construction having a drive segment 51 which meshes with a toothed segment 52 of a triple-armed adjusting lever 53 which is rotatably mounted on a shaft 54 of the cash register frame. Sensing rollers or followers 56 and 57 are mounted on the triangular lever arm of the adjusting lever 53 and cooperate with respective cam discs 58 and 59 which are securely mounted on a rectangular main shaft 60 of the cash register. The differential control mechanism 50, which bestows on the control mechanism slider 44 reciprocating sensing movements by means of the cams 58 and 59 for each machine run, is furnished moreover with a driven toothed segment 61 controlling the non-illustrated known means, which is set anew during each machine run and maintains the setting thereof until the subsequent machine run. A pin 62 is riveted to the driven toothed segment 61 and has a rod 63 rotatably secured thereto which drives toothed segments 66 and 67 through a lever arm mounted on meshing engagement with pinions 68 and 69 which are fastened to indicator wheels 70 and 71 of the indicating device 15.

A tie rod 72 is rotatably secured to the pin 48 of the aforementioned control mechanism lever 49 and is in driving connection by means of a pin 73 with a triplearmed disc 76 that is rotatably mounted on a shaft 75. The disc 76 is furnished with rectangular entrainers 77 to 79 which cooperate with square studs 80 to 82 of the toothed segments 83 to 85 which are also rotatably mounted on the shaft 75. Tension springs 89 to 91 are suspended from the pins 86 to 88 of the disc 76, and are fastened to pins 92 to 94 of the toothed segments 83 to 85 and maintain the studs 80 to 82 force-lockingly in engagement with the entrainers 77 to 79. The toothed segments83 to 85, in engaged condition thereof, mesh with counter wheels 95 to 97 of the computing mechanisms. The computing mechanisms are made up of a totalizing mechanism 99 of known construction mounted on a control shaft 98 as well as of summing mechanisms 102 and 103 mounted on thecontrol shafts 100 and 101. The summing mechnisms 102 and 103 have nine counter wheels 96 and 97 for each decimal place so that a total of 18 summing mechanisms are provided in addition to the totalizing mechanism 99. When an amount is introduced into the cash register, the control mechanisms slider 44 senses the amount keys 8 and 9 in the first half of themachine run and is blocked by the depressed amount keys. Since this operation is carried out in the operational mode additon, the selected computing mechanism or mechanisms are swung into the toothed segments 83 to 85 during the second half of the machine run and, thereby, the previously sensed values are sporadically transferred.

The drive mechanism of the cash register 1, as shown in FIG. 3, is formed of an electric motor 105, having a pinion 106 meshing with a gear 108 rotatably mounted on a stationary bearing pin 107. The gear 108drives another gear 112 through a further reduction gear stage 110, 111 mounted on a bearing pin 109, the gear 112 being in turn mounted on a pin 113 and being connected by means of an elastic clutch 114 with a gear 115 or a blocking disc 117 provided with a stop 116. The gear 115 simultaneously meshes with a gear 118 secured to the previously mentioned main shaft 60 of the cash register as well as to a gear 119 which is secured on an also rectangular control shaft 120. At the reverse side of the gear 118, a control roller 122 is rotatably mounted on a pin 121 and cooperates with a control lever 123 which is rotatably mounted on a pin 124 and has a lever arm 125 that acts on a switch lever 126 of a switch 127 which serves to close the electric circuit for energizing the electric motor 105. In the stage shown in FIG. 3, the control lever 123, which is under the effect of a tension spring 128 and the control roller 122, is located in the inactive position, i.e., the switched-off position.

The pin 124 further accommodates an additional control lever 129 which is likewise controlled by a tension spring 130 and has a sensing roller 131 which cooperates with a control cam 132 that is securely mounted on the main shaft 60 of the cash register. Arcuate stops 134 and 135 are provided at the lever arm 133 of the control lever 129 and at the lever arm 125 of the control lever 123, and cooperate with a stationary pin 136 which limits the rotary movements of the control leverl23 and 129 by means of the tension springs 128 and 130 when the switch 127 is switched on. A linkage or driver 137 is rotatably secured to the lever arm 133 and engages a pin 138 of a locking lever 139 which has a locking hook 140 cooperating with the aforementioned stop 116 of the blocking disc 117. The

locking lever 139 is secured on a control shaft 141 and 146 (note also FIG. 2) and carries a pin 147 to which a linkage or driver 148 is rotatably coordinated that is operatively connected by a pin 149 with a control segment 150. A tension spring 151 engages the pin 149 of the control segment 150, and is suspended from a stationary pin 152. The control segment is rotatably mounted on a pin 153 and has a stop 154 which, in starting position, abuts a locking member 156 that is secured to a control shaft 155. The control shaft is part of a blocking device disclosed in German Patent No. 964,905, and serves for releasing the machine run when the control mechanism selector keys and computing mechanism selector keys required for the planned machine run are actuated.

A rod 158 is articulatingly connected at a pin 157 of the control segment 150 and is pivotally secured at a pin 159 of a control member 160 which is also secured on the control shaft 141. The control member 160 has v a control pin 161 provided with a control roller 162 which engages in a V-shaped groove 163 formed in a fastened to a pin 166 of a triangular pin 168 and has a sensing roller 169 that cooperates with a control cam 170 which is also firmly mounted on the main shaft 60 of the cash register.

When a machine run is released, the control shaft 155 turns the locking member 156 counterclockwise, and the control segment 150 also turns in the same rotary direction about the pin 153 under the influence of the tension spring 151. The driver 148 accordingly en trains the releasing segment 145 which releases the locking lever 139 whose locking hook 140 is swung beyond the vicinity of the stop 116 under the action of the tension spring 130 engaging the control lever 129, and the lever arm 133 of the control lever 129 switches on the switch 127. The starting electric motor 105 thereby turns the main shaft 60 as well as the control shaft 120 counterclockwise, as viewed in FIG. 3, whereby the control lever 123, which is subject to the biasing action of the tension spring 128 is also transferred into the on-position. As soon as the control cam 132, after a partial rotation of about 260, turns the control lever 129 counterclockwise, the locking lever 139 and control shaft 141 connected therewith are swung in the same rotary direction and, for their part, transfer the control segment 150 as well as the releasing segment 145 into the starting position shown in FIG. 3. Shortly before the termination of the machine play, the control roller 122 actuates the control lever 123 which shuts off the electric motor 105 and the stop 7 116 abuts the locking hook 140.

The shafts 171 of the totalizing key located in the control key bank 172, the control key 6 as well as the locking key 7 are provided with stops 173 which cooperate with rectangular stops 174 of a control mechanism slider 176 which is rectilinearly guided by pins 175. The control mechanism slider 176 is in driving connection, by means of a tie rod 178 secured to a pin 177, with an adjusting lever 179 of a differential control mechanism 180 which is also driven by the main shaft 60 of the cash register. A pin 182 is riveted to a toothed segment 181 of the differential control mechanism 180and serves foraccommodating a tie rod 183 which will be discussed hereinafter in greater detail.

A cam 184 for grand-totaling machine runs, a cam 185 for sub-totaling machine runs, a cam 186 for addition machine runs as well as a cam 187 are securely mounted on the control shaft 120, and the function thereof will be described hereinafter in detail.

The device for controlling the types of machine runs and for selecting the computing mechanisms is constructecl as follows: I

The cam 184 (FIGS. 3 and 4) cooperates with a sensing lever 190 controlled by a tension spring 189 furnished with a sensing roller 188. The sensing roller 190 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 191 and is connected by a strap 192 to an adjusting lever 193. The adjusting lever 193 is mounted on a non-illustrated hollow shaft, which surrounds the aforementioned control shaft 98, and is formed with an elongated hole or slot 194 in which a pin 195 of a drive disc 196 (FIG. 6) engages, the drive disc 196 being rotatably mounted on a shaft 197. The drive disc 196 (FIG. 7) is provided with three hook-shaped entrainers 198 to 200 having stops 201 to 203 formed in the shape of a peaked roof which cooperate with clutch shafts 204 to 206, the function thereof being described hereinafter in greater detail.

The control cams 185 and 186 cooperate through additional sensing levers 207 and 208, respectively, and adjusting levers 209 and 210, respectively, with respective drive discs 211 (FIG. 8) and 212 (FIG. 9) that have entrainers 213 to 215, on the one hand, and 216 to 218, on the other hand, which, as seen in FIG. 7, however, have a smaller diameter.

The cam 187, on the other hand, acts on a roller 219 of a sensing lever 220 which is also mounted on the shaft 191. A rod 222 is secured to a pin 221 located on the sensing lever 220, and extends over a pin 224 riveted to a clutch disc 223. The clutch disc 223 is formed with recesses 225 to 227, therein, in which clutch pins 228 to 230 engage and are coordinated with the selector and control device 231 to 233. In the position illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the clutch disc 223 mounted on the shaft 197 is in its inoperative position. In the starting position on the other hand, wherein the lobe 234 of the cam 187 is effective, the edges 235 are disposed in abutment with the pins 228 to 230.

The selector and control device 231 (also FIG. 6) is formed of a double-armed control bridge 236 whose arms 237 and 238 are rotatably secured on the shaft 197 and whose bearing pins 239 accommodate a double-armed control bridge 240. A pin 241 is riveted to the outer end of the arm 238 and has a roller 242 which engages in a shaped elongated hole or slot 243 (FIGS. 4

8 and 5) of kidney-shaped control lever 244 that is rigidly mounted on a hollow square shaft 245 wherein the aforementioned control shaft 101 is slideably yet not rotatably mounted. A tension spring 246 engages the pin 241 and is secured to a further pin 247 at the frame wall 248 (FIG. 6) of the cash register. A clutch shaft 205 secured to the control bridge 240 cooperates, as previously indicated, depending upon the setting, with one of the entrainers 199, 214 or 217 of the drive discs 196, 211 or 212, respectively, that are shown in FIGS. 7 to 9. A stud 250 is riveted to the arm 249 of the control bridge 240,and a strap 251 is mounted thereon and v is rotatably secured to a pin 252 of a clutch lever 253.

The clutch lever 253 is mounted on a pin 254 which is fastened to the frame wall 248 of the cashregister and is firmly connected by a bearing bushing 255 to a sensing lever 256 having a sensing pin 257 cooperating suspended in a bore formed in a disc 262 slid onto the shaft 197. The aforementioned clutch pin 228, that is controlled by the clutch disc 223, is fastened to the clutch lever 253.

The control disc 258 (FIG. 10) has three control regions 263 to 265 that are provided for the sensing pins 257, 266 and 267 of the selector and control devices 231 to 233. As is apparent from FIG. 11, the substantially rectangular portion 268 of the sensing pin 257 engages in the recess 269 of the related control region which calls for four setting steps or stages 270 to 273 of the sensing pin 257. The step 270 is the starting position at which no computing mechanism is selected. A

grand-totalling sum is controlled in the first step, a subtotalling sum in the second step, and an addition machine run in the third step.

As is apparent from FIG. 10, each control region 263 to 265 is subdivided into 12 sections which are determined by positionindicators 0 to 11." The control disc 252 is furnished with a ring gear 274 with which a pinion 275 (FIG. 6) meshes. The pinion 275 is mounted on a shaft 276 on which a gear 277 is also disposed which meshes in turn with a tooth segment 278. The tooth segment 278 is mounted by means of a bushing 279 on-the shaft 197 and is operatively connected by a lever arm 280 and the tie rod 183 with the differential control mechanism of the control key bank 172. The teeth of the control disc 259, which is constructed in a similar manner, mesh with a pinion 281 of a hollow shaft 282 which has a gear 283 that is driven by a tooth segment 284. The latter is set or adjusted by means of the lever arm 285 which is connected through tie rod 286 with a nonillustrated differential control mechanism that is coordinated with the computing mechanism selector keys 3. The setting of the control disc 260, however, is effected through the lock 17 which adjusts or sets by means of a nonillustrated adjusting device. a linkage or driver 287 and a tooth segment 288 connected therewith which is ope ratively connected by a gear 289, a hollow shaft 290 and a pinion 291 with the control disc 260. The selector and control devices 232 and 233, whose 'control bridges 292 and 293 (FIG. 6) are likewise mounted on the shaft 197, are of similar construction to the aforedescribed selector and control device 231 whose operation is hereinafter described.

Before the beginning of the machine run, the control disc 260 can be set by the lock 17. At the beginning of the machine run, however, the control discs 258 and 259 are transferred into their operative position by the differential control mechanism 180 of the control key bank 172 coordinated therewith or by the nonillustrated differential control mechanism coordinated with the computing mechanism selector keys 3. After termination of this setting operation, the lobe 234 of the cam 187 releases the sensing lever 220 which is subjected to the action of a nonillustrated tension spring, the sensing lever 220 then transferring the clutch disc 223 into the position thereof shown in FIG. 4. The clutch lever 253 which is subjected to the action of the tension spring 261 as well as the sensing lever 256 connected therewith can accordingly rotate counterclockwise. The rotary motion is limited by stops of the sensing pin 257 at the highest step 270 to 273 of one of the control discs 258 to 260 which are simultaneously sensed. The clutch lever 253 thereby entrains, by means of the strap 251, the control bridge 240 whose clutch shaft 205 is displaced (note also FIG. 7) by one of the entrainers 199, 214 and 217. If the clutch shaft 205, for example, is located in front of the stop 202 of the entrainer 199, the drive disc 196, when the cams 184 become effective, swings the control bridge 236 about the shaft 197 counterclockwise by means of the control bridge 240. The roller 242 of the control bridge 236 sliding in the shaped hole swings the control lever 244 accordingly about the center of the control shaft 101 so that the counterwheels 97 (FIG. 2) are transferred from the position A (Out) into the position E (In) in which counterwheels 97 of the selected adding mechanism 103 engage with the tooth segments 84 for receiving a value.

pin 266 coordinated with the control region 263 and the sensing pin 267 coordinated with the control region 261 can drop in. As the sensing pin 266 reaches the step 273 (Addition), the sensing pin 267 comes into engagement with the step 272 (Sub-total); therewith the totalizing mechanism 99 in the mode-of-operation Sub-total and the selected adding mechanism 102 in the mode-of-operation Addition are controlled, one of the total sums given by the totalizing mechanism 99 being transferred into the adding mechanism 102. In

the position 0, all of the control discs 258 to 260 in-- dicate the steps 273. It is therefore sufficient for at least one control disc 258-260 to control the setting or adjustment.

In the combined control, for example byv means of the totalizing key 5 of the control key bank 172, coordinated with the position"1 as well as the computing mechanism selector keys 3/4, which set the control disc 252 in the position 1 and the control disc 259 in the position 4, the control disc 258, which has been shifted into the position 1, releases the sensing pin 267 coordinated with the control region 261 up to the step 273, does not release the sensing pin 257 that is coordinated with the control region 262 and releases the sensing pin 266 coordinated with the control region 263 up to the step 273. If the adding mechanism 102/14, which is to be controlled, is to be controlled alone, the control disc 259 must indicate only the ineffective step 270 in the position 4 in the control re- Before the termination of the machine run, the counterwheels 97 are again swung outwardly and the selector and control device 231 is transferred into the starting position shown in FIG. 4.

The axial displacement of the control shaft 101 is effected by a spindle nut, 293 (FIG. 4) which has a crosspiece 294 that extends about a square hollow shaft 295 which is rotatably mounted on the control shaft 101 and is secured against longitudinal displacement. The spindle nut 293 is seated on a threaded spindle 296 on which a gear 297 (also note FIG. 3) is mounted and is in engagement with a tooth segment 298 mounted on the shaft 197 whose drive is effected by nonillustrated difierential control mechanism of the computing mechanism selector keys 3. The drive of the threaded spindle 299 is effected in the illustrated embodiment by the same tooth segment 298. If necessary, however, the threaded spindle 299 can be controlled by an additional computing mechanism selector bank. The control discs 258 to 260, which are capable of being sensed by the sensing pins 257, 266 and 267, not only determine individually but also in combination the respective controlled mode of operation of the machine and moreover also select individually or in combination the corresponding computing mechanism. If, for example,

the control disc 258 adjustable by the differential control device 280 of the control key bank 172 is in position 11, the sensing pin 257 coordinated with the control region 262 cannot drop in, whereas the sensing 'gions 261 and 262, and the step 273 in the control region 263. If the totalizing mechanism 99 is to becontrolled therewith, the control disc 259 must be provided in the control region 261 (position 4) with a step 273. It should also be noted that the totalizing key 5 has no machine releasing function in this case, but

rather the machine run is released by the depressed computing mechanism selector key 3.

An advantageous combination control with respect to the machine modes of operation that are to be controlled is produced if several modes-of-operation setting means are to be actuated which control different machine modes of operation. If, for example, the

control disc 260 is shifted by the control lock 17 into the position 5 in which a step 271 (total sum) is provided in all control regions 261 to 263 and the adding mechanism 103/6 is controlled by means of the adding mechanism selector key 3/6, the step 271 of the control disc 260 dominateswhen in the control regions 261 and 263 of the control disc 259 in the position 6 the step 270 and in the control region 262 the step 273 are worked in-and controls the machine in the mode of operation Grand total machine run although only the mode of operation Addition machine run" is coordinated with the selector key 3/6 in position 6. In the setting of the machine mode of operation and the selection of the computing mechanism, the machine mode of operation Grand totalling machine run respectively dominates over both of the other modes of operation and the mode of operation Sub-totalling machine run dominates over the mode of operation Addition machine run. The computing mechanism can only be controlled when, in a control region 258 to 260 of all the control discs 258-260, steps 271 to 273 are worked in, form which the stage located next to the sensing pin 257, 266 and 267 determines the mode of operation.

Since the cash register 1 operates with a non-illustrated variable program control which has become known through the German Application Published for Opposition (DOS) No. 1,424,611, in order to be able to carry out automatically specifictotalizing operations which are released by the control key 6, the control 'slider 176 of the control key bank 172 can be blocked in the course of the program control also by control means automatically releasing nonillustrated subsequent machine runs and, if necessary, by a nonillustrated locking member adjustable in a conventional manner by a totalizing mechanism 99. The setting of the control disc 258, adjustable by the control slider 176, is made dependent by the adjustment of the totalizing key S, the automatic control means, as well as by the totalizing mechanism 99. Instead of the control discs 258-260, depending upon the arrangement of the computing mechanisms, similarly operating control rails, which are provided with profiles that are capable of being sensed and which perform the same functions, can also be used.

. I claim:

1. Control device for a registering business machine having mechanically adjustable mode-of-operation and computing mechanism selector means controllable by control mechanism and computer mechanism selector keys for respective banks of said keys as well as by automatic control means, the mode-of-operation and computing mechanism selector means being actuable through clutch devices connected thereto for effecting selection of controlling modes of operation and computing mechanisms, the banks of the control mechanism and computer mechanism selector keys members for transferring cam-controlled drive movements to said control shafts for timely swinging the selected computing mechanisms into and out of operation with value transfer members in accordance with 'a seiect d'mode-of-operation.

2. ontrol device according to claim 1 wherein said control member means comprises a control disc.

3. Control device according to claim 2 wherein said control disc has a plurality of control regions, one of said sens in'g members being coordinated with each of said control regions, and including cam means adjustable jajrthe machine drive, and follower members operativl'y connected to said cam means and to the respective sensing members for swinging the latter in and out of sensing position.

4. Control device according to claim 3 wherein the individual control regions of said control discs are provided with step-like stops .at individual setting positions thereof for selecting the same or different modes of operation for the controlled computing mechanisms.

5. Control device according "to claim 1 wherein said control member means comprises a plurality of adj ustable control discs from respectively one differential control mechanism of the control mechanism and computing mec anism selector banks for selecting machine modes operation and computing mechanisms, said plurality ofadjustable control discs cooperating selectively individually and in combination with the sensingmembers coordinated with the control shafts of the computing mechanisms. i

6. Control device according to claim 2 wherein the business machine has a totalizing mechanism and including automatic control means, said control disc being in the differential control mechanism of the control key bank, adjustment of said control disc being operatively dependent upon control keys of the control key bank upon said automatic control means and upon the totalizingmechanism.

7. Control device according to claim 2 wherein said control discs are mechanically adjustable during a machine run, and including a control lock turnable by hand for adjusting said control discs before a machine run.

8. Control device according to claim 2 including control bridges having clutch and swing members, and drive members for said control discs, said drive me mbers, said control bridges and said control discs being all mounted on a common shaft.

*9. Control device according to claim 8 including a control shaft, a plurality of cams mounted on said control shaft, said plurality of cams being in force-locking connection with said drive members, said drive members having a plurality of entrainers respectively, effective in accordance with the setting of the clutch devices coordinated therewith. 1

10. Control device according to claim 1 including a bearing pin secured to the frame of the machine, and including clutch members firmly connected to said sensing members and mounted therewith on said bearl ing pin, cam means, clutch disc means operatively connected to said cam means and to said clutch members and said sensing members for adjusting said clutch members and said sensing members, and further including control bridges articulatingly connected to said a 

